Net Galley Review: Rage Baking by Katherine Alford and Kathy Gunst

Update: February 20th 2020

Since the publication of this book it has come to light that the premise of the book was initially put out into the world by Tangerine Jones, long before the book we see now came into being.  Ms. Jones is not credited with her creation of the relevant social media accounts, hashtags and social justice movement.  The response on behalf of the authors and publishers has been underwhelming in its embracing of the inclusive feminism the book claims to symbolize.  Individual authors have also responded to the controversy in a bit of a mixed-bag. 


While I will not be changing my review, it would be disingenuous to go back and white-wash my initial impressions in some sort of performative “wokeness,”  I feel obligated to to include this note so that future readers may make choices about the book equipped with the full understanding of its context.  My willingness to embrace the premise and production of the book without deeper research was my misstep, one I will be more conscious of in the future. The idea of Rage Baking as an inclusive feminist/social justice movement falls apart when white women build fame on the shoulders of BIPOC without attribution or compensation. 

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Well, the world is literally on fire and the United States are being run by a D-list reality TV star who puts kids in cages, has double digit rape accusations and is beloved by the Christian Right despite being a self-admitted adulterer and cheat.  So that is all pretty....great?   If you, like me, need the occasional break from the absolute wretchedness of today's political and cultural climate, Rage Baking might be just what the doctor ordered.   This book will offer the distraction of some yummy kitchen work while also supporting EMILY's List, a shining light at the end of a very dark (and white-cis-hetero-male) tunnel. 

This book has already been added to my “buy this!’ list at work.  The recipes alone make this one a winner. Add in essays and commentary from feminists around the country and five stars doesn't feel like enough.

Our library has a very active cookbook club, full of members with very exacting tastes in their cookbooks.  This one checks all the boxes. The pictures are beautiful. The recipes are well written and all the steps make sense.  The anecdotes that pepper the recipes create a narrative feel. The food looks amazing and provides creative spins on classic comfort baking.  This book meets all these criteria and more.

As a collection of essays this book also stands out.  In a time when the current political climate can create, rage, fear, anxiety and despair (all within one hourly news cycle) these essays give a voice to many of our feelings.  Hearing the perspectives of many like-minded feminists was uplifting and inspiring. Readers may leave this book motivated to bake a great batch of cooking and volunteer with a local political campaign.